DESCARTES AND ELIZABETH ON THE BLESSED LIFE

Abstract

Most of the historians of philosophy know about the correspondence betweenElizabeth and Descartes only due to the problem which princess had suggested to philosopher,regarding the relation of body and soul. Not that many people, however, know that their lettersalso concerned manifold of subjects: those of geometry, physics and medicine, as much as ethicaland political questions. Undoubtedly, their correspondence testifi es about orrigination and alterationof some of the Descartes‘ philosophical thoughts, but by far it reveals how educated andtalented his correspondent was, and we can only regret because woman of such profi le, besidesthese letters, did not leave a philosophical work.